To provide Energy Service Companies (ESCO) Market Study for Industrial Energy Efficiency in Canada

The contract seeks a contractor to conduct a comprehensive national study on the market for Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in Canada’s industrial sector, with the goal of identifying key drivers and barriers to implementing energy efficiency measures and providing actionable policy recommendations to the Government of Canada. The work is structured into three distinct phases totaling 100% of the scope: Part I (30%) involves assessing the current state of the Canadian industrial ESCO ecosystem through project initiation and market inventory; Part II (35%) focuses on analyzing the barriers and enablers affecting ESCO-driven efficiency projects, including lessons from international contexts; and Part III (35%) entails estimating the potential for ESCO adoption across targeted industrial sectors—smelting and refining, iron and steel, cement, chemicals, mining, oil and gas, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, and general manufacturing—and formulating policy recommendations. All deliverables, including a project outline, research findings, draft and final reports, and presentations, must be completed within 23 weeks of contract award and submitted in English, with reports in Microsoft Office and PDF formats. Bi-weekly status updates and monthly meetings are required, and all work must adhere to industry-standard quality assurance procedures. The contract is awarded on a fixed-price basis with milestones tied to phase completion, and all pricing must be submitted in Canadian dollars as an all-inclusive firm price that includes travel, living, and miscellaneous expenses, while excluding applicable taxes. Payment is contingent on delivery and acceptance, with undisputed invoices processed within 30 days of receipt in acceptable form. Invoicing must follow strict formatting rules, including submission as a PDF via email to a designated government address, and must include detailed expenditure breakdowns, contract numbers, financial codes, and tax registration details separately listed. The contractor must maintain a compliant accounting system and retain records for seven years after final payment or until all claims are settled. The offeror must meet a mandatory requirement of 60 months of experience in ESCO-related market research and policy analysis in Canada, and proposals are evaluated on a combined 60% technical merit and 40% price basis, with non-compliance on mandatory criteria resulting in automatic debarment. Additional obligations include confidentiality, intellectual property transfer to Canada, strict adherence to integrity and conflict of interest policies, disclosure of former public servant status, compliance with international sanctions and anti-human trafficking rules, and no assignment without written consent. The contract period runs from award to March 31, 2027, with